Combustion apparatus.



No. 831,299. PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

W. H. RIOKER. I COMBUSTION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED BIZ-(L6, 1905.

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WILLIAM H. RICKER, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBUSTION APPARATUS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed December 6,1905. Serial No. 290,534.

T0 (1 whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. RIoKEn, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combustion Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to furnaces or heaters adapted to produce hot air for heating purposes, and has for its object the production of an apparatus in which the coal-dust and other waste materials are capable of be ing utilized and in which the air-currents are caused to pass through the fire-pot in circular currents and through the fresh coal contained $619111 to be finally fed into the center of the The invention consists in certain novel fea tures of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be readily understood by ref erence to the description of the drawings and to the claims to be hereinafter given.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a furnace or heater embodying the features of this invention. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section of the same, the cutting plane being on line 2 2 on Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section on line 3 3 on Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, represents the wall of the furnace or heater, which is provided near its top with a casing 11, having at either end chambers 12 13. The chambers 12 13 communicate with each other with a plurality of narrow air-passages 14, between which bafflelates 15 extend downwardly from the upper wall of the casing 1 1, while other plates extend upwardly from the lower wallthereof to cause the products of combustion to pass from the fire-pot 17 through the opening 18 in the bottom of the casing 11 in indirect circular passages between the air-passages 14 on their way to the outlet 19. An air-inlet 2O communicates with the chamber 13, and the air entering said chamber passes through the passage 14 to the chamber 12 at the front of the heater and through the outlet 21 to the room it is desired to heat. The casing 11 is of lesser width than the interior of the wall 10 leaving side chambers 22 between said casing 1 1 and the inner face of the walls 10.

through the side passages 22,

These chambers 22 communicate at the top with a chamber 23, extending above the whole surface of the casing 11 beneath the inner face of the top walls 10. Air is admitted to this chamber 23 through the opening 24, provided with a closure 25, which may be operated in any well-known manner. The firepot 17 is provided with a solid bottom 26, having the up per surface thereof inclining downwardly toward narrow openings 27, extending lengthwise of said fire-pot. In these openings are placed revoluble members 23, provided with a plurality of projections adapted to break the slag and clinkers which may accumulate therein.

The fire-pot 17 is surrounded by air-passages 29, communicating through openings 30 with said fire-pot, and above the passages 29 are inwardly-projecting ledges 31,which de flect the air passing down through the chambers 22 into the center of the fire-pot 17. The passages 29 connect at the front of the heater with passages 32, communicating with the in terior of the fan-casing 33, in which a fan 34, mounted on. a shaft 35, is revolved by means of the pulley 36. The casing 33 is surrounded by a water-jacket 37, which protects the same from the heat. The outlet 38 of said casing communicates with a passage 39, extending longitudinally of the center of the fire-pot 17 and having in its top wall a plurality of openings 40, through which the air may be emitted from said fan-passage to the center of the burning coals extending over the bottom of said fire-pot. fire-p ot fresh coal, as indicated at 41, is placed upon the burning coal 42, and as soon as the fan 34 is revolved, with the door open, air is drawn through the passage 24 into the chamber 23 at the top of the heater down entering the fire-pot 17, where it is deflected by means of ledges 31 into the center of the fire-pot, a portion of this air being collected therein to'feed the fire, as would be the case in a natural unconfined fire, all as indicated by the arrows on Fig. 2. Owing to the suction caused by the revolution of the fan 34, a portion of this air entering the firepot passes through the openings into the passages 29 and is drawn into the fan-casing 33 and forced through the passage 39 andopenings 40 beneath the burning coals to feed the same and assist in the combustion thereof. The inner portion of the casing 33 is provided with a plurality of openings 43, and a portion of the air con- At the front of the tained within the fire-pot 17 is drawn through the fresh coals 41 into the casing through these openings 43, taking therewith the gases being separated from said fresh coals by the heat contained within the fire-pot and small molecules of coal-dust and other matter separated from said coals. These gases, coaldust, &c., drawn into the casing 33 are carried about said casing by the fan 34 and emitted therefrom and forced through the passage 39 and o enings 40 to the center of the fire in said e-pot, thereby materially assisting in the combustion of the same and utilizing all particles of gas, coal and dust ac cumulated therein.

The action of the burning coals upon the fresh coal removing the gas therefrom causes the fresh coal 41 to be prepared in better condition for combustion when it is desired to push said coals backward in the fire-pot to mix with the live coals 42, at which time a fresh supply of coals will be placed in the front end of the fire-pot to replace those removed therefrom.

This construction of a furnace or heater is found to be very advantageous for the purpose of burning certain inferior grades of coal and combustibles which are generally considered valueless, as in a heater of this construction materials heretofore considered worthless may be utilized to good advantage and, owing to the construction of the appa- 'ratus, the heat generated by the fire is caused to pass therefrom in circular currents, while the air entering through the opening 24 at the top of the chamber 23 is thoroughly heated therein and then caused to pass down through the side chamber and to move in circular currents through the fire-pot and is sucked therefrom to passages 29 and forced through the passages 39 40 to the center of the fire to promote combustion of the live coals and thoroughly use up all material capable of combustion.

It is believed that from the foregoing de scription the operation of the invention will be thoroughly understood.

I claim 1. In a furnace or heater, the combination of a fire-pot, means for admitting air to the upper part of said fire-pot, a conduit extending into said fire-pot and communicating therewith through a plurality of openings, a chamber communicating with said fire-pot and said conduit, and means within said chamber to cause some of the heated gases to be drawn directly from said fire-pot through perforations in said casing into said chamber and then forced again therefrom into said fire-pot through said conduit.

2. In a furnace or heater, the combination of a fire-pot, means for admitting air to the upper part of said fire-pot, a conduit extending into said fire-pot and communicating therewith through a plurality of openings, air-passages surrounding said fire-pot and communicating therewith throughaplurality of perforations, a fan-chamber communicating with said air-passages, said conduit and through perforations in the casing thereof directly with the fire-pot, and a fan therein adapted to indraw the heated gases from the fire-pot and the heated air from the air-passages and force them thoroughly mixed through said conduit into said firepot.

3. In a furnace or heater, the combination of a fire-pot, means for admitting air to the upper part of said fire-pot, a conduit eX- tending lengthwise of said fire-pot and communicating therewith through a plurality of openings, a casing provided with a plurality of perforations communicating with the interior of said fire-pot, and means located Within said casing for indrawing air and gases through said perforations and forcing the same through said conduit into said fire-pot.

4. In a furnace or heater, the combination of a fire-pot, means for admitting air to the upper part of said fire-pot, a conduit extending lengthwise of said fire-pot and communicating therewith through a plurality of, openings, a casing provided with a plurality of perforations communicating with the interior of said fire-pot, a side inlet to said casing for the admission, of air thereto, and means located within said casing for indrawing air and gases through said perforations and forcing the same through said conduit into said fire-pot.

5. In a furnace or heater, the combination of a fire-pot, means for admitting air to the upper part of said fire-pot, a conduit extending lengthwise of said fire-pot and communicating therewith through a plurality of openings, a casing provided with a plurality of perforations communicating with the inte rior of said fire-pot, a side inlet to said casing for the admission of air thereto, a waterjacket for said casing, and means located within said casing for indrawing air and gases through said perforations and forcing the same through said conduit into said firepot.

6. In a furnace or heater, the combination of a fire-pot, means for admitting air to the upper part of said fire-pot, a conduit eX- tending lengthwise of said fire-pot and communicating therewith through a plurality of openings, side air-chambers provided with inlets communicating with said fire-pot, and means for drawing air and gases from said fire-pot into said chambers and forcing them therefrom through the openings in said conduit in the bottom of said fire-pot into the same.

7. In a furnace or heater, the combination of a fire-pot, an air-chamber above said firepot, means for admitting air thereto, a perforated conduit beneath said fire-pot, and a fan for drawing the air from said chamber above the fuel in the fire-pot and in contact with the gases therefrom into said conduit to be forced therefrom into said fire-pot again.

8. In a furnace or heater, the combination of a fire-pot, an air-chamber above said firepot, means for admitting air thereto, means for regulating the admission of said air, a perforated conduit beneath said fire-pot, and a fan for drawing the air from said chamber above the fuel in the fire-pot and in contact with the gases therefrom into said conduit to be forced therefrom into said fire-pot again.

9. In a furnace or heater, the combination of afire pot, a conduit extending into said firepot and communicating therewith through a plurality of perforations, air-passages surrounding said fire-pot and communicating therewith through a plurality of openings, an air-chamber above said fire-pot, means for admitting air thereto, and means for indrawing the air from said chamber and products of combustion from said fire-pot through said passages and forcing them into the firepot again through said conduit.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 2d day of December, 1905.

WILLIAM H. RICKER.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. LOMBARD, EDNA O. CLEVELAND. 

